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Augusta Red Cross is looking for heroes

The Augusta Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for a few heroes. A dozen of them, in fact.

Each year the Red Cross holds its “Heroes” campaign to recognize local citizens in 12 different categories. Nominations are for those who “have saved (or assisted in saving” a life by intervening in a life-threatening situation and/or given the victim the aid they needed (or would have needed) to survive,” according to the nomination forms.

Categories include Good Samaritan Hero, Law Enforcement Hero, Educator/Community Hero, Animal Rescue Hero and Spirit of the American Red Cross Hero.

Columbia County was well-represented in last year’s awards:

• Lauren Gill received the Good Samaritan Youth Hero Award for performing the Heimlich maneuver and saving a 5-year-old at the Windmill pool.

• Deputy Gary Thigpen received the Law Enforcement Hero Award for helping rescue a woman from her burning Martinez townhome.

• Grovetown High School athletic trainer Jessica Kirby received the Educator/Community Hero Award for helping save a football player who overheated during practice.

• Barbara Gleitsmann of Appling received the Animal Rescue Hero Award for her work with Happy Tails Rescue. (This one seems a little problematic now; her rescue has run into trouble with state regulators.)

• John William Richards III, an Eagle Scout, received the Wilderness Rescue Hero Award for rescuing another youth from an overturned kayak near River Island.

• Larry Miller, of Century 21 Larry Miller Realty, received the Community Partner Award for creation of Operation Hand Warmer.

If you know of anyone who might be qualified for the award for actions in 2012, you have until March 1 to send in a nomination. You can find the form at www.american.redcross.org/ga/augusta.

They asked me to help get the word out.

ALDI opening

I’m sure word already is out to grocery shoppers who will flock to ALDI on Thursday for the new grocery store’s opening.

I’ve never been to one of the stores, but I understand the merchandise is cheap and the experience is unusual. They charge you a quarter to use a grocery cart, giving you the quarter back when you return the cart to the store. You have to bring your own bags or pay for theirs, and you bag your own groceries.

Those little things allow them to save money by hiring fewer people. Nothing wrong with that, but they can hire fewer people because they make the customers do more of the work.

For that very reason, I long ago stopped using the self-checkout at the grocery store in silent protest. On the rare occasion I do, I feel guilty, like I’m helping put someone out of work.

I’ll certainly give ALDI a shot, but I wouldn’t want my pals at Publix and Kroger to miss me.